


Little Lion

by kingseijuro



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Barista Keith (Voltron), Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gay Shiro (Voltron), Gymnastics, Keith & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Keith doesnt have his scar, M/M, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Not Canon Compliant, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Professor Shiro (Voltron), Shiro doesnt have white hair, Single Parents, Space Dad Shiro (Voltron), allurance, domestic sheith, single dads
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-07-14 21:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16049330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingseijuro/pseuds/kingseijuro
Summary: Keith Kogane is an exhausted single dad with god awful insomnia, gymnast turned barista. He never thought in a million years that his daughter would connect him to a handsome college professor.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The first fic I've written in a long time!!! It was a challenge not to make it angsty LMAO 
> 
> The lovely @somegoodsheith (from Tumblr & AO3) beta read this chapter for me!! Please go show her some love<3

Exhaustion spread all over Keith's face. Work was incredibly rough for him today, not sleeping the night before due to his god awful insomnia. He was lucky to be a barista and have all the coffee in the world. But of course, at the end of the day coffee may give you energy but it doesn't rub the tired out of your face. He thankfully only had a seven hour shift today from six am to one pm, so he ran home and miraculously managed a small nap before having to wake and pick up his daughter from kindergarten at 3pm.

 

Keith nursed a cup of coffee that was poured neatly into a thermos with a closable lid in one hand, and steered his small Toyota Corolla 2008 with his other. He got to the neighborhoods local elementary school within his normal time frame; about 10 minutes before the bell rung and kids started spreading out of the building like a wildfire.

 

With one twist and a pull of the car keys, the small cars engine died down and Keith promptly stuck the keys in his pocket on the opposite side of his pants that his wallet was at; hanging loosely in a pocket of its own. He left his coffee in the cup holder as he exited his car, followed by a slam of the door for extra precaution, then headed over to the back of the building where all the other parents picking up their children were.

 

Per usual, the quiet Keith Kogane stood by himself off to the side of the crowd. He tried to tell himself it was so Maaya, his daughter, could find him better. But anyone with eyes could tell he was just socially awkward. And on top of that, socially exhausted. Keith never was much of a social person, so work alone took a lot out of him mentally. He stood there quietly until a taller man approached him.

 

The dad, maybe uncle, was incredibly handsome to Keith. From the small floof of white hanging down his forehead and to the scar across bridge of his nose, to the muscular shoulders harnessing that beautiful face. Keith would be lying if he said he didn't find the man attractive. But then the man spoke and it took Keith everything he could to keep his expression neutral.

 

"You picking up your kid too, or are you just an uncle? I see a lot of Aunts and Uncles here." his voice was deep and husky, but a playful tone lingered throughout his words, soon a soft chuckle as he spoke his final words. Keith's mind went haywire at the chuckle.

 

"I'm a dad," Keith kept his voice even and miraculously kept his face neutral, showing zero signs of being hot and bothered by the taller man. How he managed it, he will never know. But he didn’t care enough to speculate any further.

 

“So am--” the usual school bell rang loudly in their ears, interrupting the man. 

“How rude,” the man imitated Stephanie Tanner from Full House playfully, tone and all. Keith ended up giggling at that. The man smiled, clearly enjoying to make people laugh and Keith felt heat rise in his cheeks. The smile was beautiful; bright, big, and happy. It made Keith happy just looking at his smile. The shorter man had to pull himself back together in an attempt to keep his normal reserved nature in check. 

 

Kids started pouring out of the building and both dads immediately looked for their own. Soon enough, Maaya came running towards Keith and jumping into his arms. He smiled softly as he hugged her gently, spinning her around once and a happy laugh poured out of her big smile; full of gaps from losing baby teeth here and there. The small 5 year old loved being spun around, so Keith made sure to do so often. 

 

Maaya had a fairly similar hairstyle as Keith, blonde locks to her shoulders formed in a mullet. Her hair was surprisingly thicker than her father's though; all thanks to her mother's genes mixing with his. The two parents had thick, healthy hair. The strands of hair would stick out everywhere if she didn't pin them down, especially where her hair parted. So she had two clips, with red butterflies on the beginning of the white painted metal, to the right of the part in her hair, pulling the strands back and behind her ears. The left side of her face was still covered miscellaneously with the fibers. The half face covered hairstyle suited her though, and she didn't seem to have a care in the world of the mess her hair became along with the constant jumping around she performed. 

 

Her eyes were the same deep violet as Keith’s, soft facial features a mix of Keith's and her mother's. Maaya was very small for her age, about 2’10 and 30 pounds. She was healthy though, and sometimes Keith had to convince people he wasn't starving her. Keith was rather small as well for an adult male, being a whopping 5’7 and around 130 pounds. But just like his daughter, he wasn't unhealthy. That was just a gene he passed down to her. 

 

Keith propped Maaya on his hip as he wrapped an arm around her back to support her, it a little difficult due to the space themed backpack hanging off her shoulders but he managed. He turned back to the taller man as a little boy ran up to him. He picked up his son with a small smile before turning to Keith as well. 

 

“I'm Keith, by the way. And this is Maaya.” shyness wavered through Keith's voice, his social anxiety screaming at him. Why the hell did you just now introduce yourself, Kogane? What the hell are you doing? 

 

Keith internally sighed at his own thoughts, but they were quickly pushed away when the father spoke. “I'm Shiro, and this is Odasaku.” Shiro smiled reassuringly as if he could tell Keith was internally kicking himself. The smile gave Keith a sense of comfort he couldn't quite identify.

 

Ahh, Shiro. It has a nice ring to it. 

 

Odasaku was a more average sized boy, black hair cut into a short pixie cut like hairstyle. He was much shyer than Maaya though, hiding his face into his father's neck as the two fathers spoke. “Nice to meet you Shiro,” Keith was happy to finally put a name to the face. “And Odasaku,” he smiled softly at the little boy, attempting to make him comfortable. He found himself similar to the boy when it came to their shy and reserved nature's. 

 

“You can call him Oda for short,” Shiro's tone was soft as he spoke. 

 

Keith soon felt a small tug of his shirt collar and he looked down to see Maaya, looking at him with pleading eyes. “Are we going to Uncle Lance's and Aunt Allura’s house today, daddy?”

 

“Sure are. Right after we go home real quick,” Keith hummed his words, smiling at his daughter as she nodded. He would do anything for this girl in a heartbeat without a second thought, and without a single regret. He loved his daughter to death and every time he saw her smile, his heart warmed. 

 

Keith soon turned to Shiro, looking up at the taller man. “I have to get going. See you another time?”

 

“Y... Yeah, see you another time,” the small flush of Shiro's cheeks were obvious and Keith couldn't hide his smirk as he left. He almost felt accomplished at the fact that he could make Shiro blush.

 

The single dad then left without another word and rushed to his car. 

 

———

 

Maaya had her small space backpack slung over her shoulder via one strap, filled with miscellaneous toys she wanted to bring over to her Aunt and Uncles. Keith's knuckles soon found its way wrapping against the white wooden door, soft light spilling out of the blurred square window at the top. The glass had etched-in designs with two skinny golden metal bars crossing to divide the glass into four smaller squares. The difference in wealth between them was proven by the door alone. But it didn't bother Keith, nor Lance. 

 

The door soon burst open by an excited Lance accompanied by his signature goofy and bright smile. The taller Cuban moved to the side to let Keith and Maaya in before speaking. 

“Hey Keith, hey Maaya!” Lance smiled as Maaya was set down from her previous position on Keith's right hip, immediately running his hand through her messy hair and ruffling it up even more. Keith groaned at that. 

 

“It took me ten minutes getting her hair to  _ that _ ,” the only response Keith got was a mischievous chuckle as Lance walked off into the kitchen. His hands immediately found Allura's hips as he approached her from behind, soft giggles slipping past her lips as she stirred something in the pot sitting in front of her. The silver pot sat on a gas stove, the appliance a nice silver aside from the black cast-iron burner shielding the pot from direct contact of the blue and yellow flames. The whole kitchen was decorated in silver appliances to blend nicely with the dark brown marble countertops. 

 

“Hey there beautiful. Keith and Maaya are here,” Lance smiled before kissing Allura's cheek and pulling away only a second later. Keith stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe comfortably as he watched. 

 

He missed that. 

 

“Hey Keith.” Keith didn't even realize Allura had made her way across the kitchen towards him, too caught up in his own thoughts. “Where's Maaya? I have a surprise for her,” her smile was soft and regal as she looked at Keith.

 

“Uhh..” Keith looked around for a second. Maaya was always free to roam around Lance's house without the need to stick to her father's side or ask permission. So in all honesty, he wasn't sure. “Maybe the living room?”

 

“Oh, yeah, I told her to check out the new game system.” Lance chimed in as he strode over to the door frame, leaning out into the short hallway connected to the living room. “Maaya, Aunt Allura wants you!” you could hear the smile in his voice almost as much as he could see it on his lips. Keith crossed his arms as he looked at his best friend and his wife. 

 

“What'd you get her?” Lance and Allura always had little surprises for Maaya, but they increased after her mom's passing. The two knew money had become a huge struggle afterwards. It was hard to get Maaya the things she needed, let alone the things she wanted. Keith hated the fact that he couldn't get her all these things, but were internally grateful nonetheless for his best friend. Lance cared for Maaya as if she was his own daughter; and Keith couldn't wish any better for her. 

 

“You'll see,” Lance smirked. The patting of feet was soon heard against the hardwood floor of the short hallway and Lance immediately bursted into a short sprint towards Maaya. He quickly picked her up and spun her around, laughter from the two singing through the air. Keith smiled at the two.

 

A few seconds passed and Lance sat Maaya back down on her feet. She quickly ran up to Allura with big violet eyes swimming with curiosity. “What is it, Aunt Allura?” 

 

“I need your special help with dinner today,” Allura smiled as she gave a light pat on Maaya's head, the action flattening her hair a little and Keith immediately felt in depth to the taller woman. “We have to mix the mac n’ cheese, the pasta is done.”

 

Maaya immediately lit up at that. For some strange reason, she  _ loved _ mixing the cheese sauce and the pasta. Keith never understood, but that didn't matter the second he saw the bright smile on his daughters face. “And I can do it?” Maaya was full of excitement, her struggle to keep her feet still far from hidden. 

 

“Of course!” Allura smiled. “But come look at this first. I saw it and thought of you.” Keith followed Allura to the living room almost as fast as Maaya did. The shorter man was always curious about anything that hit his ears, and it showed at times like this. Allura noticed that and chuckled softly, causing Keith to pout and he stepped back to lean against the door frame. He crossed his arms comfortably as he watched. 

 

Allura pulled out a small red bag out from under the black leather couch, deep purple tissue paper sticking neatly out from the bag. Maaya's eyes brightened as she sat on the couch and Allura only smiled more as she handed her the bag. 

 

Maaya immediately tore the tissue paper out of the bag, papers flying all over the room and Keith instinctively flinched. But it didn't seem to bother Allura at all, her eyes on the five year old patiently waiting for her reaction. Maaya smiled brightly as she pulled out a average sized lion plushie. It was one of those with the big eyes, sparkles decorating the bright red iris’. She immediately squealed, hugging the lion tightly. 

 

Keith almost felt bad for the plushie. He had to remind himself that it  _ was  _ a plushie. Not a baby lion.

 

“Thank you,” Keith mouthed towards Allura once they locked eyes. She smiled softly with a small nod in response, soon standing to pick up the tissue paper scattered around the living room. Keith immediately walked over to her and grabbed her arm gently to stop her. “I can clean,” he spoke out loud, smiling. 

 

Keith picked up all the tissue paper he could find, scanning the room to make sure he didn't miss any before bringing the fist full into the kitchen and throwing it into the electronic recycling can that opened and closed by itself with a motion sensor. It was larger than the short trash bin next to it, both matching in specs and color. 

 

The cans were too fancy, if you asked Keith. But Lance seemed to like them. Why? He'll never know. But that seemed to be common between them. Keith will never fully understand Lance, and Lance will never fully understand Keith. 

 

Soon enough, Maaya came running into the kitchen and straight to the pot that had been drained conveniently by Lance. The silver pot was sitting on a wooden pot holder, freshly cooked shell noodles filling it half way. White, nearly transparent steam rose off the noodles and weaned up in the air until the trail disappeared then repeated itself. Maaya went to grab the pot and before Keith could get across the kitchen, Lance was already stopping her. Keith sighed in relief. 

 

“Slow down there baby, let's bring it to the table where you can reach it.” Lance grabbed a oven mitt and slid a hand into it, carrying the pot in that hand and the wooden holder in the other to the small but long dining room table. He sat the pot holder down in front of a chair then the pot on top. “Don't touch the hot pot unless you're wearing a mitt, alright?” 

 

Keith went ahead and grabbed the cheese packet and large black rubber spoon from the countertop, and scissors from one of the drawers placed underneath. He brought them over to Maaya and cut the packet for her before handing it to her and the large spoon. He sat the scissors down on the table away from the pot safely. 

 

Keith sat down in a seat adjacent from his daughter and watched has she squeezed the packet of cheese sauce into the pot and on the noodles, stirring the contents excitedly. He couldn't help but to smile at that. Maaya was full of joy from the activity, one that's usually small mundane to others. 

 

———

 

Not much longer than ten minutes passed and the table was set, food placed out neatly on larger plates in front of them as they all sat down around the table. Empty plates sat in front of them, silverware on the left and a glass of water on the right of the plate. Keith made Maaya's plate first. Baked chicken, some corn, and the mac n’ cheese. He made sure to give her more corn than anything before sitting the plate in front of her, then repeating the process for himself. 

 

“Maaya told me about this Shiro guy,” Lance smirked and Keith had to hold back a groan, waiting for the inevitable teasing. “What's he like? Is he cute?”

 

“I just met him today. He looks straight as your floorboards, too.” Keith looked away as he hid his face more in his long, black locks of hair. 

 

“Actually, there's a floorboard upstairs in the hallway. Not straight at all,” Lance chuckled softly. He wasn't lying though, there really was a dented floorboard in the upstairs hallway. It curved out slightly and Lance has been trying to fix it for weeks with no luck.

 

“You might want to get a carpenter,” Keith retorted sarcastically, glancing at Lance through his eyelashes.

 

“Yeah, probably,” Lance chuckled as he took a sip of his water before speaking again. “Is Shiro a Carpenter?”

 

“I don't know, Lance. All I know is that he's a dad.” Keith felt a growl build up in the back of his throat, somehow managing to not let the sound slip past his lips. His temper was short, which didn’t work too well with Lance’s teasing nature. Sometimes Keith wondered how their friendship worked so well.

 

“He's a teacher, Oda told me!” Maaya exclaimed and it caused Keith to crook his eyebrow. Teacher, huh? “He teaches astro..phizz…ics?” Maaya tried her best to pronounce the word and it caused Keith to smirk. 

 

“Astrophysics?” Keith chuckled softly. Keith had always liked space, his interest a little more peaked towards Shiro now because of it. Why didn't Shiro go to the Garrison, though? 

 

The question rung through Keith mind for a moment. Everyone interested in space goes to the Garrison. Even if he didn't want to travel space, he could of taught cadets about space. So why didn't he? 

 

“Yes, that! I don't know how Oda pronounced that,” Keith almost didn't hear Maaya speak, nearly not registering it. He was becoming distracted. Lance quickly managed to pull him out of it in his usual, annoying way that Keith would never admit he loved. 

 

“Ooo, space stuff. Keith, you'll love the guy!” Lance exclaimed and Keith finally let out the groan he'd been holding in since the beginning of the conversation.

 

“I'm not interested,” Keith lied. But if there was one thing he was good at, it was lying. “How'd he even get brought up anyways?”

 

“Maaya said you were talking to a tall man, and weren't acting yourself. She was telling me about her day.” Lance smirked mischievously. 

 

“Maybe cause I'm running on a couple hour nap,” Keith sighed. At this point he was almost done his food, looking over to see everything but the corn eaten off of Maaya's plate which only made him sigh again. “Maaya, eat your vegetables.” Maaya pouted but listened, slowly scooping up the corn with her cheese coated spoon and eating the small vegetables.

 

“Running on a couple hours  _ is  _ yourself, Keith. You need to fix that.” Allura finally chimed into the conversation. She'd been quiet, knowing she couldn't stop Lance's teasing but also not wanting to jump in. She was respectful like that. “I still think you should try meds.”

 

“Not happening, you know how much I hate medicine.” Keith instinctively shook his head. When Allura's gaze didn't budge and her eyes narrowed, he sighed. “I've managed this long. I'm fine, I can deal with it.”

 

Allura sighed but didn't push any further, instead standing and picking up everyone's clean plates and bringing them into the kitchen. Everyone could hear the clinking of ceramic clashing together as she fit the plates into the dishwasher out of view of the dining room. Keith then pulled out his phone for a quick moment to check the time, wanting to at least  _ try _ getting a decent amount of sleep tonight before doing the normal daily commute. 

 

9:43pm.

 

“Its late... I need to get Maaya to bed,” Keith sighed tiredly and Maaya whined, making him pout. “Sorry, baby girl. You have school tomorrow. Go get your things and the present Aunt Allura got you together.” Keith ran a hand softly through Maaya hair tenderly, smiling softly down at her. She nodded then stood from her seat before running off. 

 

A yawn soon spilled past Keith’s lips and he instinctively stretched his arms upwards. Lance chuckled with a roll of his eyes, making the smaller male squint at him. “You seem really tired,” Lance soon explained. “You should get going.” Keith rolled his eyes as his best friend stated the obvious.

 

“You trying to kick me out?” Keith cocked an eyebrow before chuckling softly, the brow immediately smoothing back down. “Don’t worry, you’ll have your alone time once we clean the table.” He then stood from his seat. Keith went to gather the utensils from around the table but stopped when he felt a gentle hand on his wrist.

 

“I see more bags than I see eyes, Keith. It’s okay. Me and Allura can clean by ourselves tonight.” Lance’s voice was soft and sincere, and Keith could almost pick out a worried tone in the vocal. It hurt just to hear it, and he was too tired to protest like his normal self. Keith simply nodded at his best friend and Lance slowly let go of his wrist.

 

“Yeah... You’re Probably right,” Keith mumbled. He rubbed his eyes tiredly before taking a deep breath and heading out into the living room where Maaya was. She was standing in front of the couch, bag on the furniture as she kissed the new stuffed lion Allura and Lance got her on the head. Keith smiled softly as he watched. Maaya soon realized she had been caught, a hint of pint flushing her cheeks and making her sparse freckles darker. She quickly shoved the lion into her space themed bag and zipped it up. She swung the small bag over her shoulders before walking up to Keith.

 

“Go say goodbye to Aunt Allura and Uncle Lance.” Keith gave a light pat to Maaya’s shoulder and she nodded, running out of the living room and into the hallway where Lance and Allura waited at the front door to say their goodbyes. They both crouched down with bright smiles as Maaya hugged them.

 

“Goodbye Aunt Allura, goodbye Uncle Lance,”  she smiled back. The couples smiles were contagious, after all. Even Keith found himself smiling just by looking at theirs. Keith made his way over to them and they exchanged hugs. 

 

“You do good in school,” Lance smiled as he patted Maaya's hand before standing and looking at Keith. “And Keith,” Lance paused as he tried to compose himself, a straight face impossible as his lips twitched. “You do good with Shiro.” Keith growled at that. 

 

“Alright, shit face,” Keith narrowed his eyes and it caused Lance to burst out into a fit of laughter, nearly falling to the ground as he held onto the doorframe. Allura shook his head as she opened the large wooden door for Keith and Maaya. Lance slowly caught his breath before he spoke again. 

 

“H-Have a good night,” his voice shook from the small laughter that was still vibrating his throat, it almost silent but he couldn't quite stop yet. Keith rolled his eyes as he picked up Maaya and walked out the door. 

 

“Have a good night, and thanks for dinner.” Soon after Keith spoke he heard the heavy door close and lock behind him, the light shining on the porch from the inside of the house slowly darkening. 

 

Keith made his way down the four brick steps then down the sidewalk to his car parked out front. He dug his keys out of his jean pocket with his spare hand then put it in the keyhole of his car, turning his wrist until he heard the snap of his lock opening. He then opened the back door and sat Maaya in her car seat, buckling her then closing the door. He walked around to the left side of the car and opened the door, crawling in and closing the door behind him.

 

A tired sigh escaped his lips as he leaned back in his seat for a moment. It had been a long, exhausting day for him. 

 

But he couldn't help but to think of Shiro. Will he see him tomorrow? 

 

He'll find out soon enough. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has taken so long to update and I have zero excuse. I promise I haven't forgotten this fic!!!
> 
> And once again thank you to @SomeGoodSheith on Tumblr and AO3 for beta reading this chapter(:

Keith sighed as he subconsciously tapped his thumbs against his black leather steering wheel. There was a sea of cars in front of him, sunlight shining off of every metal surface it could reach and occasionally blinding him. Anxiety was slowly building up in his core as he waited. Every couple of minutes the cars in front of him inched closer, Keith’s hopes building up then crashing back down the second they stopped. It was starting to become exhausting. Only a few minutes had passed and he was already resting his head on his steering wheel and listening closely for the sounds of cars moving. 

 

He was going to be late.

 

Keith slowly lifted his head from its position on the steering wheel as he dug his hand into the pocket of his dark jeans, pulling his phone out and turning it on. He unlocked it via the fingerprint sensor before dialing Maaya’s school. He took a deep breath before pulling the phone to his ears and listening to the ring. He hated having to call and say he was running late. Would he be judged? Thought of as a bad parent? Either way, he had to suck up his pride and do it. For Maaya.

 

Soon enough, the ringing came the dreaded halt. “Hello! This is Altea Elementary School. Who am I speaking to?” a woman spoke in a happy yet professional tone. She didn’t sound like the judgemental type, and that eased him a little.

 

It took a moment for Keith to find his voice through the nerves. “Keith Kogane. I’m the father of Maaya Kogane,” Keith chewed the inside of his lip as he spoke. He hated phone calls, they made him a nervous wreck. It was so easy to say one thing, not as easy to control your facial expression. And _that_ was what struck a chord in his anxiety.

 

“Alright Mr. Kogane, how can I help you?” You could hear a reassuring smile linger through her voice. 

 

“I’m in traffic and wont be there on time,” Keith pressed the gas pedal of his car then quickly moved his foot to press on the brakes seconds later. A sigh escaped his lips.

 

“Alright sir. We’ll call her to the office right before the bell rings so you can get her there,” the Receptionist smiled reassuringly.

 

“Thank you so much,” And just like that, Keith hung up and looked out into the sea of cars. Light from the sun above reflected off of various pieces of metal, sparkles decorating the road. He had been ten minutes away from the school for the passed fifteen, at most moving a good ten feet. He groaned as he let his forehead fall against the steering wheel and sink into the slight cushioning underneath the fake leather.

 

_This was gonna be hell._

**———**

An hour had passed by the time Keith pulled up to Maaya’s Elementary School, around forty minutes after the bell had rung. Forty minutes after Shiro had left and gone home without giving Keith his signature smile that he had grown addicted to in the matter of a week. That smile was like a drug and he never wanted to quit it.

 

Keith sighed deeply as he twisted his wrist and pulled the key out of his car’s ignition, the vibrating rumble of the vehicle slowly coming to a stop. He opened his car door and crawled out of the seat to a stand, slamming the door behind him as he walked away. Instead of going to the side of the building like he usually did, he walked in through the large front doors; it being closest to the office.

 

He walked down the hallway, black and white checkered floorboards with deep navy blue lockers lining the walls. To his left, he passed a couple classrooms before making it to the office. Keith had never willingly walked into an office so quickly in his life. He quickly rushed passed his daughter, who sat in a seat next to another kid and a father. They seemed familiar, but Keith didn't take the time to notice as he rushed to the front desk. “I’m Keith Kogane,” Keith spoke in a tired tone as he signed himself in. It was ridiculous to have to if you asked him, but the lady with the name Sharon on the tag pinned neatly to her t-shirt said it was mandatory. 

 

_Wait-- was that?_

 

Everything suddenly clicked. He was in too much of a rush to fully register who the father and child were that sat next to his daughter. Keith walked from the desk and over to his daughter, who quickly stood and hugged his legs tightly. “Daddy!” Maaya smiled brightly as she looked up at her father, him running a hand through her hair with a soft smile.

 

“Sorry about that, baby girl. Traffic was hell today,” Keith sighed before looking up at the man that was talking to Maaya. It was Shiro. “Shiro uhh… Traffic too?” the shorter dad glanced over at Odasaku, who had stood from his seat previously next to Maaya and was now clung to his father's leg.

 

“Oh, uhh… No,” Shiro cleared his throat into his human hand, it loosely balled into a fist before falling flat in its old position at his hips. Shiro seemed nervous as he looked away with a slight tilt of his head, the white floof of his hair dangling in a perfect position to hide his right eye. “Oda said Maaya was in school today but when I didn’t see you outside with everyone else… I thought I’d check on her.” Keith couldn’t help the creeping blush that faded onto his cheekbones. He was thankful he desperately needed a haircut, the long strands of his bangs mostly hiding his flushed cheeks.

 

“Thank you, Shiro. I’m sure she enjoyed your company,” Keith smiled softly, not taken aback at all by Shiro’s gesture. He didn’t consider it creepy like others would have, just kind and considerate. “Right, Maaya?” Keith looked down at Maaya and she nodded.

 

“Thank you Mr. Shiro,” Maaya said graciously before looking up at her father and tugging at his untucked shirt. “Daddy, am I still going to practice?”

 

“Yes, I have your stuff in the car. There’s no way you’re missing your first meet,” Keith smiled softly down at Maaya. He was almost more excited then she was. Keith then turned to the taller man next to him with an apologetic smile. “Sorry to leave so soon.”

 

“It’s alright. Sports, I’m assuming?” Shiro smiled reassuringly down at Keith.

 

“Gymnastics,” Keith noticed Shiro perk up at that, but the shorter man couldn't quite figure out why.

 

“Oda does gymnastics as well,” Shiro smiled.

 

“Daddy, don’t I have a meeting as well today?” Odasaku tugged at his father’s pants to grab his attention. Shiro nodded with a soft smile down at him. He could never not smile at his son, the boy always so happy just to see him. It was the same for Keith, one look at Maaya and he can’t stop smiling. They both loved their children and it was clear as day.

 

“Where do you take him?” Shiro asked, lifting his head and shifting his gaze from his son to Keith.

 

“Marmora Gymnasium,”

 

“What a coincidence. That’s where Oda goes,” Shiro chuckled with sweat smile, eyes locking with Keith’s for a moment. Keith felt his face heat up more at that.

 

“I guess I’ll see you there then,” Keith’s voice stayed even as he looked up at the taller man one last time before grabbing Maaya’s hand gently and walking past him with a wave.

 

**———**

 

Keith and Maaya ran into the gymnasium, panting heavily once they stopped outside of the classroom. They had made it just in time. A minute later, and she would have missed part of the class. He would have felt _awful_. 

 

Keith sighed in relief as Maaya ran off to the dressing room, space backpack still on one shoulder bouncing slightly with each step. The ride there was tense, Keith speeding the safest he could in an attempt to make it on time. One of these days, he wouldn’t be so lucky. 

 

Keith walked over to the benches just outside the large viewing window made for parents to watch the class. He sat down as he leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling before closing his eyes and relaxing. “You made it,” A familiar voice caused him to open his eyes and lift his head. It was Shiro, staring down at him with a relieved smile.

 

“I see you did too,” Keith sat up a little as he looked up at the taller man. Shiro sat down next to him with a tired sigh and the smaller dad couldn’t help but to chuckle at that. “Tired?”

 

“Very,” Shiro chuckled back, leaning his head back and doing the same Keith was moments ago. “I was up all night grading papers,” he explained, soon lifting his head and yawing into his arm. 

 

Keith had to hold back a smile at that. Something about Shiro yawning was so cute to Keith. Maybe it was the scrunch of his nose, or the surprisingly small sound coming out of the fairly muscular man. He wasn’t very sure, but he also didn't really care.

 

“At least it was something interesting like Astrophysics,” Keith propped his elbow on the arm of the bench, palm sinking into the flesh of his cheek. The wood was painted an almost neon purple, metal supports painted a deep black.

 

“I didn’t know you liked space, Keith,” slight, almost unnoticeable awe ran through Shiro’s voice. You could tell he was trying to stay collected, not showing too much excitement. But Keith could see right through the facade.

 

 

“Yeah,” Keith chuckled at Shiro as he looked through the window. Kids were starting to go in the gymnasium for class to start. “Almost entered the Garrison.”

 

 

Shiro tilted his head in curiosity at that. “Why didn’t you?”

 

“Disciplinary issues. Plus, it wasn’t my first passion,” Keith said cautiously. He didn’t like talking about his past self. He was all anger and no thought back then. He was different now but when people heard about his past, they viewed him differently and he hated it.

 

“Gymnastics?” Shiro put all of his attention towards learning about Keith. It was almost like he was studying for a test, and Keith was the test. 

 

“How did you know?” Keith was slightly shocked Shiro knew he used to do gymnastics, never once mentioned it to him. Did he know he used to compete? Did he watch him compete? Keith nearly panicked at the thought, just managing to calm himself before showing any signs.

 

Shiro chuckled. “Maaya told me,” once the words hit Keith’s ears, panic left him and he was left with a small chuckle that slipped past his lips. 

 

“So you already knew Maaya was going to gymnastics today, didn’t you?” Keith smirked and you could see the immediate panic in Shiro’s eyes. He was caught in the stereotypical ‘let's use the kid to know the parent more’ move.

 

“Y-Yeah..” You could tell Shiro thought of it as a slight lie, and felt bad. That caused Keith to pout as he looked back up at the man by only moving his eyes, head staying in it’s position lazily

 

“Hey, Shiro, its okay,” Keith was quick to reassure Shiro, a soft smile curling on his lips. “You just want to get to know me, right?” he lifted his head off his palm as he sat up straight to look at the taller man with a better angle.

 

“Yeah,” Shiro’s deep voice shook slightly, almost unnoticeably so as he smiled nervously. Shiro was just as nervous as Keith was, and something about that calmed him a little.

 

“Then let’s talk,” Keith turned as he crossed his legs, sitting indian style on the bench and facing Shiro fully. The smaller man was easily able to spin without constricting any space on the bench.

 

“Do… You have a wife? Girlfriend?” Shiro spoke, caution riding in his voice and Keith raised an imaginary eyebrow at that. Why was he so cautious? 

 

“Uhh, no. I’m single.” Keith took a deep breath after speaking, closing his eyes to center himself before opening them again. “Maaya’s mother… She died recently,” Keith tried distracting himself by turning his head to look into the classroom, managing a soft smile as he watched Maaya attempt the higher bar of the uneven bars for the first time. She managed to just curl her fingers around the metal before falling onto the safety mat below her, a pout curling onto her lips before immediately rising back up to her feet. Keith chuckled at that. Maaya was always a fighter, always moving forwards even when she failed.

 

_You’ll get there one day, baby._

 

“Oh... I’m sorry,” concern rode through Shiro’s voice, causing Keith to turn his head back and he was met with sympathetic eyes, so caring and sad all at the same time. Keith took a deep breath before nodding.

 

“Its okay,” Keith smiled apologetically. He would be lying if he said it didn’t hurt, being reminded of her, of Julie. But that wasn’t Shiro’s fault, Keith knew that, so he wasn’t upset at him. He needed to move on, anyways. Try to remember all the good times that he had with her without crying. 

 

**_[2 years ago]_ **

 

_"Daddy! Mommy said you used to do a sport! Gy... Gmastics?..." a 3 year old Maaya exclaimed and it made Keith chuckle._

 

_"It's pronounced Gymnastics, baby girl," he picked her up with another chuckle and a small giggle escaped past Maaya's small lips as he sat her on his hip._

 

_"Can I see, daddy?" her eyes gleamed with excitement and Keith just couldn't say no._

 

_Luckily for him, Julie, his wife, walked into the living room with a video on her phone. They all huddled around the phone on their living room couch, Maaya's eyes brightening as she watched Keith spin around the uneven bars and do flips._

 

_"I want to do what daddy does!" she exclaimed and it made Keith smile from ear to ear._

 

_"Yeah? Maybe we can set you up for a class," Julie smiled down at her daughter, now on her father's lap comfortably._

 

Keith sighed at the memory. He still missed Julie dearly. He loved her, married her, and even had a kid with her. But at the end of the day, him finding out he was gay would have ruined their marriage and family.

 

It still would have been better than her dying, though. Anything was better than that. His daughter would have still had a mother, and his first love would have still been alive.

 

“I lost my wife too,” the words snapped Keith out of his trance. He didn’t even realized he was staring through the window again till he turned his head and looked up at Shiro. All Keith could read in those deep pools of gray was a mixture of reassurance and sadness, maybe even some comfort that went with the small sad smile that curled on those beautiful lips.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Keith spoke quietly, a soft reassurance lingering through his tone.

 

The rest of the time Keith and Shiro sat in comfortable silence and soon enough, the hour long class came to a halt and kids were running out to their parents. Keith smiled as he saw Maaya, immediately standing and catching her as she ran into his arms. He picked her up and swung her around, a giggle slipping past her small lips as her hair floated in the wind caused by the twirl. He smiled softly as he sat her back down on her feet and she stared up at him with a bright smile. 

 

“How was it baby?”

 

“Good! Ms. Acxa helped me work on the uneven bars!” Maaya had a small jump in her feet, unable to keep still but managing to stay in one place. Her excitement was like a bomb building up to explode. Keith was exhausted just looking at her. 

 

_She definitely didn’t get that energy from Keith._

 

Keith turned to look at Shiro, Odasaku already in his arms and propped on his hip comfortably as he jumped in excitement as well. “Maaya did all these cool things daddy! It was so cool!” Keith smiled softly at the display, Shiro chuckling with a smile of his own. 

 

“Well, she was raised by a Gymnast,” Shiro smirked, glancing at Keith then back at his son. Keith hid more in his bangs as a warm blush faded on his cheeks. 

 

“Maaya showed me! Mr. Keith is good!” Keith was officially blushing. All the compliments were too much for him. He was never good with compliments, not really enjoying the attention. Keith chuckled nervously as he ran a hand through the thick locks in the back of his head, looking away from the bunch.

 

Maaya soon tugged gently at Keith’s pants and he shifts his gaze down to her. “Can you show us what you can do, daddy?” her eyes were bright, pools of violet swimming with plead and Keith didn't have the will couldn’t say no. He could never say no to Maaya.

 

“Sure, let me just ask Acxa if we can use the gym today,” 

 

**———**

 

“Can just anyone do this?” Shiro asked Keith as they walked into the gymnasium. It was small, just enough equipment for a class of kids and plenty of space to run around. Pretty standard for a kids gymnastics classroom.

 

Keith twirled a metal keyring with two keys on it around his pointer finger. “Me and Acxa used to compete together. She lets me use the gym when no one’s here,” Keith explained, tugging his winter coat off and dropping it on the floor against the wall. The keys jingled as the ring slipped off of Keith’s finger and fell on top of his jacket. “But no, most people can’t.” he quickly pulled his hair into a ponytail before walking over to one of the warm up pads.

 

Keith stretched for a few minutes before nervously heading over to the uneven bars. He hadn’t shown off his moves to more than his daughter in years. He used to not get nervous at all, but now? He wasn’t sure why, but he was. Maybe it was the fact that he’s rusty, or maybe cause Shiro would be watching. He wasn’t sure. 

 

The bars were slightly shorter than what he used when competing, but still worked just as well. He stood a few feet behind the highest bar of the equipment.

 

Keith took a deep breath, closing and opening his eyes during the motion before running and jumping, bending his arms and swinging them behind himself. He then swung his arms forwards, stretching them up and grabbing the highest metal bar with ease. There were grips on the bars, a nice little handicap for beginner gymnast. Keith hadn't felt that in years. Hell, he hadn't felt the normal metal bars in a long time as well. The bars that were freezing to the touch, but quickly warmed as he wrapped his fingers around it and squeezed. 

 

Keith never once touched the uneven bars when Axca let them stay late, too busy being reminiscent about his past. But the second Maaya asked, all that jumped out the window. He knew exactly what she meant when she asked him to show off his moves. Not flips or balancing, but his signature best: the uneven bars. 

 

The slender man quickly swung his legs forwards, feet pointed and cutting through the wind like a bullet as his legs stuck together. He used the motion to hoist himself up, arms stretched straight and holding his weight easily. Keith took another deep breath before swinging his legs back swiftly, swinging his body up and soon spreading his legs then closing them again. His feet pointed straight up in the air as he fell backwards and swung around the bar again. 

 

When he did a full circle around the bar, he let go for a split second and spun in the air, quickly grabbing the bar as he faced the same way he did before the spin. He then swung around again, and again, spreading his legs and closing them as he let go of the bar with his right hand. He let go with his left hand as well, but only for half a second to turn his wrist, soon grabbing the bar once again with both hands and now facing Shiro. 

 

You could see the shock all over Shiro's face. His jaw had dropped, and Keith briefly wondered how long it'd been like that before he spun around the high bar again. He jumped over the bar and tapped his feet with the tips of his fingers before grabbing it again, once again facing the wall and away from Shiro. A blush quickly krept onto Keith's light cheeks as he thought of Shiro watching him. 

 

He spun around the bar once more, then again as he jumped and turned to face his audience once again. He flipped around the highest bar once more before letting go underneath it, flipping in the air and quickly grabbing the lower bar. 

 

Keith quickly realized he was getting _way_ too carried away. He just hadn't felt this in so long. The air running though his pony tail and pulling out strands to tickle his face, the labored breaths as his lungs burned. The sense of freedom as he flew in the air. He missed it all so much. 

 

_The uneven bars were definitely his favorite._

 

Soon enough, Keith did a couple more small spins around the lower bar before letting go and doing a flip, landing safely on the padded ground without losing his balance. Maaya immediately ran over to Keith, jumping on him he wrapped his arms around her so she didn’t fall. A small laugh tumbled past his lips as he stumbled back slightly from the force. 

 

“That was so good daddy!” Maaya smiled brightly.

 

“Y-Yeah that- wow…” Shiro stuttered, his thoughts abruptly stopping as he stared at Keith in awe. 

 

“I got a little carried away… I haven't done that in so long,” Keith smiled happily.

 

“Wait. Are-- Are you saying you haven’t even practiced in a while?” Shiro’s jaw dropped. “And you’re that good? Without practice?” Keith blushed once he heard the words.

 

“Yeah… I haven't touched the bars in 5 years,” Keith still practiced on his free time before Maaya was born, but once she was he stopped entirely. He didn’t even step foot into a gym until Maaya started taking classes. The ex-gymnast didn’t want to be teased. “I stopped competing when Maaya was born.”

 

Shiro simply nodded, not pressing the subject any further and Keith was gracious for that. They all quickly got their stuff together and left the gym, Keith locking up and hiding the key in a pot like Acxa had requested. The crisp air cools Keith’s sweat covered face as it whipped around

 

“You really are good,” Shiro said quietly as he shoved his hands in his coat pocket. White puffs of hot air left his mouth as he spoke.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“So, Gymnast turned Barista, huh?” Shiro chuckled and Keith rolled his eyes, soon chuckling as well. Shiro smiled warmly down at Keith. 

 

_It has a nice ring to it._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
